forever young naturally lifestyle

You can feel better in just 30 minutes if you exercise. Research on patients with a major depressive disorder demonstrated that a 30-minute workout at moderate intensity can disable the anger, confusion, distress, and fatigue associated with a bad mood.

Hardship may be important to some people in restoring equanimity. Climbing a mountain, walking a long trail, completing a trip by sail or oars can bring a sense of obstacles beaten, and a triumphing over self-obsession.

Don't try to be happy all the time: if you need to cry or rage, do so. Mood swings are part of life—and life can be unfair.

Sit quietly and close your eyes. Think back to a time when you felt confident and optimistic. Perhaps after passing your driver's test, having a successful interview, getting married, or giving birth. Recall how you felt. Fix this image by drawing an imaginary circle around your feet. Step out of the circle, knowing it's there whenever you need to step back in and psyche yourself up for a stressful event.

Make every morning a fresh start. Whatever happened yesterday, assert on waking that today will be filled with fresh possibilities. Vow to live in the present.

If dark moods affect your quality of life, get help before they start to affect your work and social life. This will make independence more likely into old age.

If you suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), anything that lifts the dreariness of the year's dark months can be helpful. In late summer plant bulbs to poke through the cold dark ground at that down time of year. Snowdrops, hyacinth, and crocuses provide earliest color. See them as a harbinger of spring warmth and new beginnings: new life needs a period of cold and dark in which to prepare to bloom.

Invest feelings of positivity in a dish to serve to others or for yourself. As you chop, fry, and stir, mix in a little passion and personality by tuning into the scents, texture, and taste and staying in the moment.

If, when you feel down, you need to eat carbohydrates, try adding sources of the mineral chromium to your diet—research suggests this may help when carb cravings typify depression. Sources include whole grains, green beans, and broccoli.

Try eating, reading, or watching TV by daylight lightbulbs if lack of natural light gets you down in winter. Full-spectrum lightboxes, or even a light visor worn like a hat, offer more intense light therapy, although 30 minutes' daily exposure to real outdoor light is best.